Programme Manager

We are looking for a Grade 7 Programme Manager to become the operational backbone of the award-winning One Public Estate (OPE) programme.

The OPE team is a friendly, highly collaborative, and diverse group operating in a fast-paced environment. This role offers you significant autonomy and stretch in a supportive environment that values diversity of thought, individual skills, and delivery expertise. If you have a proven track record of solving problems in complex environments, leading through uncertainty, and working as a strong team player, we would love to hear from you.

About One Public Estate (OPE)

OPE is a unique and impactful partnership between the Office of Government Property (OGP) in the Cabinet Office, the Local Government Association (LGA), and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Established in 2013, we work with 98% of local authorities in England and have funded over 850 transformational property-led projects.

Our mission is to support public sector partners to drive economic growth, unlock housing supply (supporting the target of 1.5 million homes), and reform public services through optimisation of public property assets. We act as a convenor, neutral broker, and technical expert, while also delivering major capital initiatives like the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) on behalf of MHCLG.

We are currently embarking on an exciting transition to an evolved place-based operating model. This role is critical to sustaining our core programme excellence while helping us design and navigate this future shape.

As the G7 Programme Manager, you will be the operational backbone of the OPE programme. Reporting directly to the Grade 6 Programme Director, you will be an active member of our Senior Leadership Team (SLT). You will operate with a high degree of autonomy to ensure the smooth, day-to-day management of our existing multi-million-pound portfolio, while directly contributing to the strategic layout, evolution, and long-term future direction of the programme.

The role requires exceptional leadership skills to navigate a complex, blended team across central and local government. You will oversee critical programme infrastructure and maintain robust governance up to Director General level. You will line manage the incoming EO Programme Assistant and SEO Data and Analysis Lead, and will proactively task manage across the wider team.

Key focus areas will include:

• SLT Contribution & Programme Evolution: Act as a core member of the Senior Leadership Team to steer, shape, and map out the future strategic direction of the programme during its transition to a wider place-based operating model.
• Programme Governance & Delivery: Maintain and optimise comprehensive business and resource plans in conjunction with our LGA counterparts. Ensure robust Risk, Assumption, Issue, and Dependency (RAID) monitoring is in place to unblock delivery challenges early.
• Financial & Contract Management: Take full oversight of a c. 4m budget. Lead on commercial and grant management with the LGA, ensuring compliance, tracking financial liabilities, and establishing future grant arrangements.
• High-Level Executive Governance: Drive forward the Programme Executive Group, which is chaired at Director General (DG) level, ensuring high-quality reporting and departmental compliance.
• Leadership & People Management: Provide strong leadership across the blended team, including direct line management of two Cabinet Office staff, and task management across a wider team, building capability to free up strategic capacity.
• Strategic Briefing: Coordinate and draft inputs for official correspondence, including ministerial submissions, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and future Spending Review bids.

Essential Experience criteria

• Complex Programme Delivery: Substantial experience managing complex, fast-paced portfolios or programmes using recognized delivery techniques.
• Public Sector Expertise: Proven experience working effectively within or alongside central government, local authorities, or multi-agency partnerships.
• Financial Accountabilities: Experience managing significant budgets and navigating commercial, contract, or grant management processes.
• Senior Stakeholder Management: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with a track record of briefing senior leaders and managing complex governance structures.

Technical Skills/Qualifications

A recognised project or programme management qualification (e.g., PRINCE2, MSP, APMP).

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.